Gutter assembly and method for making same

ABSTRACT

A gutter assembly and method for making same are provided. The gutter assembly includes an inner channel for directing flow of water and debris; and an outer channel for supporting the inner channel, wherein the inner channel is disposed within the outer channel at a predetermined angle. The gutter assembly of the present disclosure facilitates the removal of water and debris from the roof of a building structure while protecting the structure and maintaining an aesthetically pleasing appearance.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Disclosure

The disclosure relates generally to a gutter for directing rainwater anddebris from a roof of a structure, and more particularly, to a gutterassembly including an inner channel for directing the flow of rainwaterand debris and an outer channel for creating an aesthetically pleasingappearance.

2. Description of the Related Art

Typically, the roofs of homes and other buildings have rain gutters oreaves troughs hung on the outer edge of the eaves below the roof line tocatch and redirect rainwater flowing down from the roof. The guttersreceive and redirect the flow of water into a downspout which carriesthe water to the ground.

A common problem with rain gutters and downspouts is that leaves,branches, pine needles and other debris often collect and accumulatewithin the gutters and downspouts, clogging them and preventing waterfrom flowing through the gutters and into the downspouts. Also, whenwater from rain or melting snow flows down the roof, the debris on theroof is carried into the gutters and downspouts, clogging them both. Ifthe gutters or downspouts are clogged, the gutters overflow onto theground possibly causing soil erosion and/or damage to the building'sfoundation.

In the prior art, devices have been developed to attempt to prevent theclogging of gutters and downspouts. These devices include screens, sievedevices and liners, which all work under the same principles of keepingdebris out of the gutter while allowing water to flow into the gutter.However, in many cases, leaves and debris get caught in theabove-mentioned devices restricting or preventing water from enteringthe gutter. In this situation, water may back up under the roof shinglesand cause damage to the roof sheathing or fascia board. This conditionmay be further compounded in winter weather where ice and snow maydevelop on the clogged device causing stress on the gutter support fromthe added weight or may cause the formation of an ice dam from thecollection of water. Additionally, these devices require period cleaningto remove the debris lodged in them.

Furthermore, during installation, gutters are typically mounted with apitch to allow water to flow to one end. However, by sloping the gutter,a portion of the fascia board is exposed and over time damage willresult. Furthermore, the sloping of the gutter results in an unsightlyappearance to the building.

Therefore, a need exists for a gutter system which facilitates the flowof water and debris from a building structure while maintaining itsappearance. A further need exists for a gutter system which requires nocleaning or maintenance.

SUMMARY

A gutter assembly and method for making same are provided. The gutterassembly includes an inner channel for directing flow of water anddebris; and an outer channel for supporting the inner channel, whereinthe inner channel is disposed within the outer channel at apredetermined angle. The gutter assembly of the present disclosurefacilitates the removal of water and debris from the roof of a buildingstructure while protecting the structure and maintaining anaesthetically pleasing appearance.

In one aspect of the present disclosure, a gutter assembly is providedincluding an inner channel for directing flow of water and debris; andan outer channel for supporting the inner channel, wherein the innerchannel is disposed within the outer channel at a predetermined angle.The inner channel has a substantially arcuate cross-section and theouter channel includes a front face, a bottom wall and a back wall,wherein the back wall is coupled to a structure for supporting theassembly.

In another aspect, the inner channel and outer channel are integrallyformed from a flat sheet of material. Furthermore, the inner channel andouter channel may be formed from sheet metal, aluminum, plastic orvinyl.

In a further aspect of the present disclosure, the gutter assembly mayinclude a heating mechanism disposed between the inner channel and outerchannel.

In another aspect, the inner channel of the gutter assembly is of alonger length than the outer channel and the inner channeltelescopically mates with the inner channel of at least one additionalgutter assembly.

The gutter assembly may further include an end piece for directing waterfrom the inner channel to a downspout, wherein the end piece issubstantially funnel shaped, and a connector for coupling the end pieceto the downspout, wherein the connector includes a plurality of rigidsections coupled by a flexible member.

In another aspect of the present disclosure, a method for making agutter assembly is provided. The method includes the steps of providinga single flat sheet of material; forming a first channel in a first halfof the sheet of material, the first channel being U-shaped including afront face, a bottom wall, and a back wall; forming a second channel ina second half of the sheet material, the second channel beingsubstantially arcuate shaped; and folding the second channel over andinto the first channel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of the presentdisclosure will become more apparent in light of the following detaileddescription when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a gutter assembly attached to the outeredge of an eaves surrounding a building in accordance with the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view of the gutter assembly taken alongline 2A-2A of FIG. 1;

FIG. 2B is a top plan view of the gutter assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view of the gutter assembly taken alongline 3A-3A of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3B and 3C are cross-sectional and perspective views of the gutterassembly for illustrating the flow of water;

FIGS. 4A and 4B are side views of a gutter assembly illustrating amethod for coupling at least two sections;

FIG. 5 is a view of a gutter system according to the present disclosure;

FIGS. 6A-D illustrate several views of an end piece in accordance withthe present disclosure;

FIGS. 7A-D illustrate several views of a connector in accordance withthe present disclosure; and

FIG. 8 illustrates a method of making a gutter assembly according to oneembodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be describedhereinbelow with reference to the accompanying drawings. In thefollowing description, well-known functions or constructions are notdescribed in detail to avoid obscuring the invention in unnecessarydetail. Throughout the drawings, like reference numerals represent likeelements.

A gutter assembly and method for making same are provided. The gutterassembly of the present disclosure facilitates the removal of water anddebris from the roof of a building structure while protecting thestructure and maintaining an aesthetically pleasing appearance.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a gutter assembly attached to the outeredge of an eaves surrounding a building in accordance with the presentdisclosure. The gutter assembly 10 includes an inner channel 12 fordirecting the flow of water and debris received from a roof and an outerchannel 14 for supporting the inner channel 12. As can be seen from FIG.2, the inner channel 12 is disposed within the outer channel 14 at apredetermined angle, or pitch, to direct the flow of water and debris toa downspout 16. The predetermined angle of the inner channel 12eliminates the need to slope the entire gutter assembly and allows theouter channel 14 to be placed flush with the roof line and level to theground. In this manner, the fascia board 24 of the building is notexposed to weather thus preventing damage, e.g., wood rot. Additionally,since the gutter assembly of the present disclosure is not manuallysloped by an installer, installation time is reduced, and therefore,installation cost is reduced.

Referring to FIG. 3A, a cross-sectional view of the gutter assembly 10is illustrated. The inner channel 12 has a substantially arcuatecross-section for facilitating the flow of water and debris; flatbottomed gutters have the tendency to retard water flow due to theincreased coefficient of friction of the broader surface area. As can beseen in FIGS. 3B and 3C, the inner channel 12 will be sloped to directthe flow of water. Preferably, the angle or pitch of the inner channel12 will be determined based on a length L of the gutter assemblysection. Each section of the gutter assembly includes an upstream end 26and a downstream end 28. When determining the angle of the inner channel12, the upstream end 26 will include a minimum height h1 between theinner channel 12 and an upper edge of the outer channel 14 to ensure apassage is created for the collection of water and debris. Furthermore,a maximum height h2 will be incorporated on the downstream end 28.Height h2 will depend on how many sections of the gutter assembly areused in a particular run, the details of which will be described below.

The outer channel 14 is generally U-shaped and includes a front face 18,a bottom wall 20, and a back wall 22. It is to be appreciated that frontface 18 may be of any configuration and is not limited to theconfiguration shown throughout the figures. Back wall 22 is generallyplanar to mate flush with fascia board 24 of the building structure.

In one embodiment, the back wall 22 of outer channel 14 includes anelongated edge 30 which will be bent over one edge 32 of the innerchannel 12 securing the inner channel to the outer channel 14 and forforming a nailing strip 34. A fastener 36, e.g., a self-tapping screw,may then be driven through edge 30 piercing the inner channel 12 andback wall 22 securing the gutter assembly 10 to the fascia board 24. Inanother embodiment, front face 18 includes a second elongated edge 38which will be bent over a second edge 40 of the inner channel 12 toprevent water and debris from entering a passageway 42 between the innerchannel 12 and the outer channel 14. Preferably, the second edge 40 ofthe inner channel 12 will be fastened to the outer channel, e.g., bycrimping, welding, etc., to further support the inner channel 12. Oncesecured to the fascia board 24 via the nailing strip 34, the innerchannel will support the outer channel obviating the need for long nailsto penetrate the front face 18 and the back wall 24 as in conventionalgutters.

In one embodiment, the gutter assembly will be manufactured in sections.Referring to FIGS. 4A and B, a first gutter assembly section 10-1 andsecond gutter assembly section 10-2 are shown in an exploded view. Inthis embodiment, each of the first and second gutter assembly sections10-1, 10-2 are constructed with a length of the inner channel 112 longerthan a length of the outer channel 114. In this manner, the first andsecond gutter assembly sections 10-1, 10-2 will telescopically mate toform a single length of the gutter assembly. The first gutter assemblysection 10-1 will include an outer channel 114-1 as described above andan inner channel 112-1 angled within the outer channel 114-1. Here, themaximum distance h2 of the down stream end will be set to accommodatethe mating of the inner channel with additional gutter assemblies. Thesecond gutter assembly section 10-2 will includes an outer channel 114-2as described above and having the sane dimensions as outer channel 114-1so when mated together the gutter assembly will appear to be a singlecontinuous piece. The inner channel 112-2 of the second gutter assemblysection 10-2 will have a large minimum distance h1 on the upstream sideas to telescopically mate with the inner channel 112-1 of the firstgutter assembly section 10-1. Once mated, the downstream end of innerchannel 112-1 will lie in contact with the upstream end of inner channel112-2. Optionally, a back flow prevention device 44 may be installedwhere the inner channels meet. For example, the back flow preventiondevice 44 may be a rubber gasket, a small amount of silicon or any otherknown device or material which is water-proof. It is to be appreciatedthat the length of a gutter assembly section should not be limited toany particular length but may be prefabricated in a variety of lengthsso in combination may achieve a desired length of an installer.

Referring to FIG. 5, a gutter system 200 embodying the principles of thepresent disclosure is illustrated. Gutter system 200 includes at leastone gutter assembly 10, an end cap 246, an end piece 248 and a downspout250. In operation, water from rain, melting snow etc, and debris wouldrun down the roof into the inner channel of the gutter assembly 10 andwould flow in the direction as indicated by the arrows. The water anddebris would discharge into the end piece 248, down the downspout 250and carried away from the building.

Referring to FIGS. 6A and 6B, several embodiments of an end pieceaccording to the present disclosure are shown. Each of the end pieces248-1, 248-2 are formed with a plurality of pieces having compoundangles forming a funnel-like effect. End piece 248-1 includes a firsthalf 252 and a second half 254 symmetrically formed about a spout 256.Preferably, first and second halves 252, 254 will have a substantiallyarcuate shape to telescopically mate with a downstream end of an innerchannel of a gutter assembly as illustrated in FIGS. 6C and 6D. Endpiece 248-2 includes a first end piece 258, a second end piece 260, afirst side piece 262 and a second side piece 264. Similarly to end piece248-1, the first and second end pieces 258, 260 will preferably have asubstantially arcuate shape to telescopically mate with a downstream endof an inner channel of a gutter assembly. It is to be appreciated thatboth embodiments of the end piece 248-1, 248-2 will have a funnel-likeeffect and will facilitate the removal of water from the gutterassembly.

The gutter system may further include a connector or elbow 268 forcoupling the end piece 248 to the downspout 250. The connector 268 isillustrates in FIGS. 7A through 7D. Referring to FIG. 7A, the connector268 includes a coupling section 270 for coupling the connector to thespout 256 of the end piece 248. The coupling section 270 will have acircumference slightly larger than the circumference of the spout 256 toensure a snug fit and no leakage. The connector 268 will further includea plurality of rigid sections 272, 274, 276, 278 wherein each rigidsection is coupled to the next rigid section by a flexible member 280.Preferably, each rigid section is generally cylindrical with a top andbottom cut at an angle. The flexible member may be some form of circularrubber gasket, pliable sheetmetal, etc. As can be seen from FIGS. 7B-7D,the connector 268 can take on virtually any shape by twisting anappropriate rigid section as indicated by the arrows.

It is to be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the gutterassembly and system described herein can be constructed of any commonlyused materials including sheet metal, aluminum, plastic or vinyl.

In one embodiment, the inner and outer channel of the gutter assemblyare manufactured as two separate pieces using conventional sheet metalforming machines employing rollers and bending mechanisms. The twoseparate pieces are then joined together as described above by crimping,welding, etc.

In another embodiment, the inner and outer channels of the gutterassembly are integrally formed from a single flat sheet of material.Referring to FIG. 8, a method for forming a gutter assembly from asingle sheet of material is illustrated. It is to be appreciated thatthe method is performed by a specially adapted gutter forming machine.Initially, a single flat piece of material 800, e.g., sheet metal,aluminum, etc., is provided (step a) having a first half 802 and asecond half 804 divided by a longitudinal axis 806. A series of rollers808, 810, 812, 814 interact with the sheet material 800. Rollers 808 and810 interact with the first half 802 of the material 800 to form theouter channel of the gutter assembly and rollers 812 and 814 interactwith the second half 804 to form the inner channel (step b). Once theinner and outer channels 12, 14 are formed, the inner channel 12 isfolded over and into the outer channel 14 completing the gutter assembly10.

In a further embodiment, the gutter assembly is extruded from plastic asa single unitary piece.

In still a further embodiment, the various components of the gutterassembly and system are manufactured from conventional polyvinylchloride (PVC) type components. PVC should be understood to include allanalogous materials, including, but not limited to: CPVC, PVCA, PVCCA,PVCV and PCWC. All such materials must have characteristics permitting afusion of the materials together upon application of any commerciallyavailable PVC liquid fusion compounds, in a chemical welding process, tothereby form a single integrated unit after the parts have beenchemically welded together. The liquid fusion compound actually fusesall of the components together into a single integrated piece. Thus, nocracks or leaks are possible because of this weld between the variouscomponents. This connection method also enhances the stability andstructural integrity of the entire gutter system to increase itsself-supporting characteristics.

The gutter assembly and system of the present disclosure may furtherinclude a heating mechanism disposed in the passageway 42 between theinner channel 12 and outer channel 14. An exemplary heating mechanismwould be a heat trace cable 282 (FIG. 3C) as commercially available fromNelson Heat Trace of East Granby, Conn. The heating mechanism will keepthe gutter assembly above a predetermined temperature limit, e.g. 32degrees F., to prevent the formation of ice or accumulation of snow. Theheating mechanism may be activated by a switch located inside thebuilding or may be activated automatically by a thermostat or low limittemperature device located external to the building. Since the heatingmechanism will be disposed in the passageway 42, the heating mechanismwill be protected from weather and water, thereby preventing a possibleshort.

A gutter assembly, system and method for making the same has beendescribed. The gutter assembly including an inner and outer channel willfacilitate the removal of water and debris from a building structurewhile maintaining an aesthetically pleasing appearance. Since the innerchannel of the gutter assembly is sloped, the outer channel may beinstalled flush to the roof line thus protecting the structuralintegrity of the building. Furthermore, since the gutter assembly doesnot have to be installed with a slope, the gutter assembly can beinstalled more quickly than conventional gutters thereby reducinginstallation time and costs.

While the disclosure has been shown and described with reference tocertain preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by thoseskilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be madetherein without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure asdefined by the appended claims.

1. A gutter assembly comprising: an inner channel for directing flow ofwater and debris; and an outer channel for supporting the inner channel,wherein the inner channel is disposed within the outer channel at apredetermined angle.
 2. The gutter assembly as in claim 1, wherein theinner channel has a substantially arcuate cross-section.
 3. The gutterassembly as in claim 2, wherein the outer channel is substantiallyU-shaped.
 4. The gutter assembly as in claim 1, wherein thepredetermined angle is based on a length of the outer channel.
 5. Thegutter assembly as in claim 1, wherein the outer channel includes afront face, a bottom wall and a back wall, wherein the back wall iscoupled to a structure for supporting the assembly.
 6. The gutterassembly as in claim 1, wherein the inner channel and outer channel areintegrally formed from a flat sheet of material.
 7. The gutter assemblyas in claim 1, wherein the inner channel and outer channel are formedfrom sheet metal, aluminum, plastic or vinyl.
 8. The gutter assembly asin claim 1, wherein a heating mechanism is disposed between the innerchannel and outer channel.
 9. The gutter assembly as in claim 5, whereinthe back wall of the outer channel includes a first elongated edge, thefirst elongated edge being folded over a first edge of the inner channelfor securing the inner channel to the outer channel.
 10. The gutterassembly as in claim 9, wherein the front face of the outer channelincludes a second elongated edge, the second elongated edge being foldedover a second edge of the inner channel for securing the inner channelto the outer channel.
 11. The gutter assembly as in claim 1, wherein theinner channel is of a longer length than the outer channel and whereinthe inner channel telescopically mates with the inner channel of atleast one additional gutter assembly.
 12. The gutter assembly as inclaim 11, further comprising a back flow prevention device disposedbetween the mating inner channels for preventing the flow of water intothe outer channel.
 13. The gutter assembly as in claim 1, furthercomprising an end piece for directing water from the inner channel to adownspout, wherein the end piece is substantially funnel shaped.
 14. Thegutter assembly as in claim 13, further comprising a connector forcoupling the end piece to the downspout, wherein the connector includesa plurality of rigid sections coupled by a plurality of flexiblemembers.
 15. The gutter assembly as in claim 1, wherein the innerchannel and outer channel are extruded as a single unitary piece.
 16. Amethod for making a gutter assembly, the method comprising the steps of:providing a single flat sheet of material; forming a first channel in afirst half of the sheet of material, the first channel being U-shapedincluding a front face, a bottom wall, and a back wall; forming a secondchannel in a second half of the sheet material, the second channel beingsubstantially arcuate shaped; and folding the second channel over andinto the first channel.
 17. A gutter assembly comprising: an innerchannel for directing flow of water and debris, the inner channel havinga substantially arcuate cross-section; and a substantially U-shapedouter channel for supporting the inner channel, wherein the innerchannel is disposed within the outer channel at a predetermined anglefor directing the flow of water and debris to one end of the assembly.